Ryu's Quest
by Lord Hekon
Summary: After the events of Breath of Fire 3, Teepo returns, and Nina is the first to die for a strange ritual. Now it's up to Ryu, Rei, Teepo, Momo, Peco, Deis & Garr to stop this madman from completing his ritual..........or become a part of it. Chapter 5 final
1. Prologue

Ryu's Quest  
by Highdragonian  


  
Prologue: Rei's Cabin   
  
Three months has passed since Ryu defeated Myria. After the fight, Ryu & Rei stayed for a while to find Teepo amongst the rubble. His armor was cracked beyond reconition plus he was pinned down by a huge slab of steel. Rei & Ryu got it off. Miraculously, he was still alive, yet he was torn up by shrapnel. After a few months, Teepo was back to normal, yet with some scars across his chest.   
  
Yet even after his old friend survived. Ryu was to the point where he was in constant anguish, saying that he failed her. It was three in the morning yet he still could not sleep. He decided to go up on the roof, he lay there, looking at the dazzling stars and the lush forest. He was talking to himself quietly.  
  
"Hmph. Look at those two." Ryu said looking at his two friends through a window. "Not a care in the world even though what happened to....", he could hardly utter the last word, "Nina...."     
  
Meanwhile back in the room, Rei stared up into the ceiling, "Don't beat yourself up Ryu.", he said quietly. "Momo tried to save her." Rei slowly drifted off into the dark embrace of slumber once again.   
  
Ryu tossed and turned on the roof. The images kept playing in his mind, refusing to leave....  
  
_ Momo shook her head in disbelief... Ryu, Rei, and Teepo arrived at the front gate of Wyndia castle.   
  
"Hey Momo!" Ryu was always in that positive state ever since he met Nina.   
  
"....."  
  
"What's wrong?" Rei asked  
  
Ryu decided to go in the castle.   
  
"Oh no..." Momo said.   
  
"Uh....why are you saying that?" Teepo said.   
  
Momo didn't say anything. Ryu's scream was enough for all of them to realize what cruel fate had befallen Nina.   
  
Rei looked at Momo in shock, "S-s-she's...."  
  
Momo nodded.   
_  
"Why...." Ryu looked beyond the starry expanse of sky to Mt. Glaus as a sense of fury went over him.   
  
Ryu was fuming, "I'll kill whoever did this to Nina......"  
  
"I'LL KILL YOU!!!!!!"  
   
 


	2. The shattered soul of a dragon

Chapter 1: The shattered soul of a dragon  
  
-Rei's cabin  
  
Teepo was shaking Rei out of his bed, "Wake up! WAKE UP!!!!" he was waving a note at him.  
  
Rei slowly got up, "What is it Teepo?" he saw the note, "What's this?"  
  
_ Dear Rei & Teepo,  
I have gone, after much consideration, to hunt down whoever killed Nina and try to kill him or her. I have also sought to find a way to bring back Nina. Whoever did kill Nina, they made it so resurrect has no effect. Tell no one of my absence, as I don't want to cause any panic.   
                                                   Your friend,  
                                                              Ryu   
  
P.S. Don't follow me. No offence, but I can do this without you guys._  
  
"Well?" Teepo said.   
  
"He's a lost soul Teepo..."  
  
"What?"   
  
"He's gonna die. If it's one thing I learned while I fought alongside Garr, it's to never fight in anger." Rei said solemnly.  
  
"Damn." Teepo said. "What can we do?"  
  
"Let's prepare today, and head out tomorrow. Ryu doesn't know what he's doing."  
  
"But..."  
  
"NOW!!!!!" Rei yelled.  
  
Teepo never saw Rei this enraged, so he got his Daemonbane sword and went to McNeil for supplies.  
  
"Dammit...." Rei said quietly as he opened a box with his Slicer knives, "Never thought I'd use these again." He went outside as it started to rain and thunder. He looked up at the unforgiving storm, "Ryu's gone. Doesn't this beat all...."  
  
-Western Checkpoint  
  
Rain.  
  
Cold wind.  
  
Thunder & lightning.  
  
Ominous, black clouds.  
  
The scenery of the Western Checkpoint perfectly matched the mood of the bleak situation. Bruised and bloody, he finally made it here.  
  
Come hither Ryu....  
  
"Huh?" Ryu looked around. No one. He was probably getting delirious.  
  
It is I, Ladon......you have been distraught by the death of Nina yes?  
  
"Yes; and I will avenge her death by killing the one who pulled this off."   
  
But what will you you do? You do not even know where the killer is Ryu. And your allies are not with you. You are skilled Ryu, yet your allies combined with yourself make you an impenitrable force. Your mind is clouded, how can you even fight......  
  
"No. I am unstoppable."  
  
No, you aren't. Nobody is. Even if you were, what will you do after you kill this person? Go   
quench your bloodlust....  
  
"No.....NO!!!!!" Ryu fell to his knees sobbing. The earth turning red with his blood.  
  
Yes. Don't do this out of  revenge Ryu. Do this for justice......the good of the world.  
  
"Yes Ladon....I understand now. My powers will go out of control if I fight out of rage and revenge. I will....fight....La...don...for......just...." Ryu collapsed in a pool of his own blood.  
  
Good for you Ryu.....  
  
-Ten minutes later.....  
  
"What the? RYU!!!!" A drenched Momo ran to his unconsious body, "He's hurt badly..." Momo examining his wounds. I'll take you back to Rei Ryu...I can't do anything here." Momo pulled Ryu up to her shoulder, slung his arm around her neck, and headed out of the Checkpoint.  
  
 Meanwhile up on a hill behind a tree....  
  
A person in a grey cloak looked at the two heading out of the Checkpoint. He had a bloody knife in his hand.  
  
"The pieces are falling into place......all is going well Myria...."  
  
To be continued....  



	3. The destroyer of the destined

  
Chapter 2  
The destroyer of the destined  
  
-Rei's Cabin  
  
All Ryu could hear was the sound of rain clashing opon a roof. His wounds were treated, yet the ones in his soul could never be until he found the one who did this. His body felt like a hundered swords passed thru him. He was also tossing and turning in a his bed. More images were in his mind, but not ones of Nina.....  
  
_Oh Ryu......hehehehe...._  
  
Ryu woke up in his mind. It looked similar to the world Teepo showed him when he was under Myria's control. Under one of the lights a man could be seen.  
  
One with long, silver hair that looked like a white waterfall. Full clad in black armor, a large shield that look like a menacing, horned daemon. A huge, black broadsword was on his back.   
  
The man approached Ryu. Ryu slowly got out his blade, the Dragon Sword. The pearl-white blade shined in radince.   
  
"Hmph. Don't think you can beat me brood." The man said, unsheathing his broadsword, purple bolts of lighting swirled around it  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
The man simply sneered and pointed his sword at Ryu.  
  
"WHO ARE YOU?!" Ryu could take no more. His girlfriend died, he nearly joined her had it not been for Momo, now this foe has the nerve to make him the new guy at Purgatory. He leapt up at the man. His sword ready to impale.   
  
"I am Karnak. Son of Myria, destroyer of the Destined Heroes. I am beyond the western checkpoint. Come if you dare." Then he dissapeared, and all went black.  
  
Meanwhile, downstairs......  
  
Rei & the others were silent. Teepo decided to break it. "How did she die? What happened Momo?"  
  
Momo sighed, then started. "I have no idea. The best guards in Wyndia were guarding her door. There were no screams, no nothing. All I know Is that she was stabbed all over her body. It was odd, only I could hear her voice. It was horrendous."  
  
"Well, we should help Ryu. No chance in hell he can fight this guy alone. After all, he did get into the castle unnoticed. Did you see what the guy looked like?" Rei was curious. How could this guy get into the castle, kill Nina, and get out unnoticed? He pushed the thought away for a moment......  
  
Teepo spoke up yet again, "Maybe this guy is an avenger?"  
  
"Hm?" Momo looked at Teepo, her ears twiching constantly, as if searching for something. She then heard a sword unsheathe itself, so silent that only she could hear it. "DAMN! TEEPO DUCK!!!"  
  
Teepo did as he was told as a long sword was flung into the room, imbedding itself into the wall, inches from Rei's head.   
  
"This day gets weirder and weirder." Rei said with some relief that he wasn't impaled. He noticed a note tied onto the hilt. "Two notes in one day?" It read....  
  
_ Rei,  
Surprised I know your name? Don't be. You, lavender boy, and the rabbit are my next victims. I think Ryu beat himself up enough, don't you think? I killed Nina, as her soul is merely a part of my ritual. You have five minutes to live cat man, I suggest you use them to get Ryu and get out.   
_

Karnak, destroyer of the destined  


  
"Son of a bitch." Rei looked over the note again. "Teepo."  
  
"I know." Teepo went upstairs to retrive Ryu. Being Rei's partner for so long, Teepo could amost read his mind.  
  
"Momo."  
  
"What Rei?"Momo's ears were still twiching.   
  
"Point your launcher at the window."   
  
Momo took aim at the window.  
  
"Fire it."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Just do it. We need to buy some time."  
  
Momo fired the launcher at the window. A faint scream could be heard in the explosion.  
  
"Good. My turn." Rei cast the spell of slow on the person. "Let's run!" They both ran upstairs. Teepo was awaiting them, Ryu was slung over his shoulder, "This is an omen Rei." Teepo pointed to the sky. "The clouds are moving faster and are getting darker."   
  
"I have no idea what the hell you just said, but I think you're right." Rei looked up to the sky. It started pouring and great bolts of lighting lit up the sky.   
  
"YOU WON'T ESCAPE WOREN!!!!!" Karnan yelled. "RYU KNOWS WHO I AM AS YOU WILL TOO! I AM KARNAK, SON OF MYRIA AND DESTROYER OF THE DESTINED!!!"  
  
Everyone was silent.....  
  
"M-Myria?" Teepo said. "Did he say Myria?!"  
  
"Oh, shit." Rei thought for a minute. "Make a death run for Mt. Zublo guys!"  
  
"Why?" Momo said, launcher pointed at the stair case.  
  
"I remember Ryu talking about a guardian there. It's not Garr, but it might help us!"  
  
"Alright Rei." Teepo was headed for the window, "I have an idea."  
  
"Alright. What?"  
  
"I'll turn into a dragon, then we can fly to Mt. Zublo."  
  
"Got it."   
  
"Throw me out the window Rei."  
  
"What?" Rei was strongly against this.  
  
"Fine." Teepo jumped out the window and turned into his Dragon Lord form.  
  
** "HOP ON GUYS!" **Teepo said, his red wing making a bridge to the window.   
  
Rei and Momo dragged Ryu onto Teepo. They soared towards Mt. Zublo as quick as Teepo could fly.  
  
"They won the battle. Yet they have not won the war mother." Karnak then dissapeared in a gold flame.  
  
Meanwhile.....  
  
Rei and the others quickly sped off in the direction of Mt. Zublo. Rei was in deep thought at this point.   
  
_A ritual?_  
**  
** To be continued.......  



	4. It's begun

Chapter 3  
-It's begun  
  
-Raphala region  
  
Teepo's huge Dragon Lord form sped toward Mt. Zublo. He could tell something was wrong.... Karnak wasn't pursuing them. He pondered the thought as the sleeping volcano of Mt. Zublo came ever closer. Rei's slow spell must have done the trick; he must be back at the cabin still.  
  
Rei was laying down on Teepo's back, thinking about the many rituals he knew of. The Great Bird ritual, the Woren's trial, he knew that Momo's clan must have had a ritual, and he figured that the Brood must have some sort of sacrifice to learn Accession. Those were all the rituals he knew. He couldn't figure out Karnak's except for the fact that it had something to do with Nina's soul, and that his was next. He looked over to his right to see Momo looking over Ryu's   
wounds, now bandaged.  
  
**"There it is......"** Teepo said, scanning the area for a place to land. The raging storm wasn't helping the situation any, and he was thankful that the wind wasn't blowing. He landed in a small tree grove, about thirty feet from Deis' cavern. His wing extended to the ground, and after everyone got off he reverted back to his human form.  
  
"That's the guardian's cave?!" Momo said looking at the cave. It didn't look like much.  
  
"Aw, hell Momo." Rei started, "If I got it wrong, at least we can use it to get out of the storm."  
  
"Alright." Momo slung Ryu over his shoulder, and walked toward the cave. She had to admit, Rei always looked at the brighter side of things. Even in dire situations.   
  
Meanwhile.......  
  
In Ryu's mind.......  
  
"COME GET ME KARNAK!!!!!" Ryu slashed again and again at Karnak's mind manifestation of himself. "WHAT'S WRONG?!" Ryu was straining to fight, then he stopped. He couldn't move..... Then Karnak dissapeared, the dark room disappeared, and Ryu found himself standing in a pitch black room, no, rather he was floating.   
  
"What is this Karnak? Where are you?" what he got was terrifying.  
  
**_"I am all around you......."_** Then a book floated in front of Ryu's face. It was what seemed to be bounded in black dragon flesh, with the dark dragon emblem  
  
"What is this?" Ryu said, gazing at the book. Whatever it was, it seemed to have a very dark aura around it.  
  
**_"Do you know what this is Ryu? Don't answer that. This is what gave me the power to kill your girlfriend. It will give me the power to destroy your friends. And do you know why that is Ryu? Because after many years of searching, I found the tome that gives me unlimited access to the forbidden powers of the Underworld.....yes Ryu, I sense your fear now......you probably know what this is don't you? If you don't know already, nimrod, it is the Dark Dragon Codex, and with it comes the power of the Underworld at my fingertips. It's game over Ryu, and there's not a GOD DAMN THING YOU CAN FUCKING DO ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!"_** What followed was a very disturbing cackle. Then the area went white, and Karnak.appeared right in front of him, book in hand.   
  
"You know what Ryu?" Karnak said, flipping through the pages of the Dark Dragon Codex.  
  
"Just kill me now Karnak. You got me where you want me."  
  
"Oh how I'd love to!" He sighed, "But I can't. You see. That would be too easy. But then again. This chance happens once in a blue moon....." He got out his broadswoard, placing it just nanometers from his throat, "I could kill you right now. Thus killing your psyche and ultimately, killing you as well. But that's not bloody enough. If you ever wake up; I cou-"  
  
"What do you mean, 'If I wake up?'"  
  
"Oh yes that's right. When you had your little episode at the Western Checkpoint, and minutes before the rabbit came along, I casted my strongest sleeping spell on you!" He laughed again, this was getting really irritating. Ryu decided to use a little trickery right now if he wanted to wake up.  
  
"Is that it?"  
  
Karnak put the book away, "What do you mean by that? You done for! Your asleep for fifty frickin' years dumbass!"  
  
"Ah yes, but you will never have your little ritual without me awake and alive and by then I'll probably be dead!"  
  
Karnak cursed, because he knew Ryu was right, "Damn your intelligence! Fine then, your awake but I would be better off asleep if I were you!" Karnak disappeared, then Ryu could feel his eyes starting to open.......  
  
-Deis' cave  
  
This place hasn't changed. The elaborate walls, and the roman pillars were still standing strong. Deis was laying on a pillar, looking at the three. She was in her Indigo form, she slithered toward them.   
  
"I foresaw you were coming." Deis said, her attention turned to Ryu, "He awakes."  
  
Ryu vision was very blurry. When it focused, he saw all of his comrades above him.   
  
"You're up!" said Teepo happily  
  
"Bout time." Rei said, "You ok?"  
  
Ryu moaned, "My head hurts."  
  
Deis looked at him, "Your psyche was tapped."  
  
"I know. It was by Karnak." Ryu said with much anger.  
  
Deis' eyes shot open, she glared at Ryu, "What did you just say?"  
  
"Karnak."  
  
Deis breathing got heavy, "K-Karnak lives?"  
  
"Look Deis." Rei started, "He's just as strong as Myria. The newest thing about him is that he can do some stupid ritual with Nina's soul."  
  
"The ritual of souls......." Deis said somberly.  
  
"The what?" Teepo said.  
  
Deis sighed, "Relax, this is going to take awhile."  
  
Deis started her story, "Three millennium ago. Two other indigoes, Laif & Slade plus myself were sent on a exploration mission to go beyond the western checkpoint, record our findings, and report back to the base, which was the cave you are standing in. Anyway, we found a strange ruin there, six black ziggurats that seem to be made of obsidian. Within the walls of the center ziggurat was an altar. On the altar was a book, bounded in black dragon flesh, and bearing the Dark Dragon emblem. We all knew what this book was. It was the Dark Dragon Codex. When I looked through it, I saw something called the Ritual of Souls. This ritual was to take place in a hidden room in the center ziggurat. And it was to have the heroes ofthe third destined cycle. In other words, Ryu, Nina, Teepo, Rei, Momo, Peco, Garr, and myself."  
  
"But Garr's dead Deis." Teepo said.  
  
"I'm not dead Teepo." A deep voice said. Out of the shadows of the cave came Garr.  
  
**_However you all shall be dead soon enough........_** Karnak appeared in a golden flame. The codex in his hand. "You are all invited to join my ritual!" He opened the book and a large portal appeared.  
  
"I only have enough power to take three of you." Teepo was then being dragged into the portal.   
  
"What the?! Rei! HELP!!!!!" Teepo yelled.  
  
Do not interfere with the inevitable woren!!!!! A psionic disc was flung toward Rei cutting off his leg. Blood was flowing everywhere as Rei was screaming uncontrollably.  
  
Garr was next, then Deis. They were sucked right into the portal.   
  
"Thank you all! I shall be seeing you shortly." Karnak dissapeared in his gold flame.  
  
Momo ran over to Rei's side, "Are you ok Rei?" she asked.  
  
"Of course i'm not fucking ok! If you didn't fucking notice I lost a fucking leg here and i'm pretty sure I had two when I came in!!!" Rei yelled. He then submitted to the pain and passed out.  
  
"Let's take him to your tower Momo. You could do something for him there and Peco might be around there." Ryu suggested.  
  
"You're right I guess." They both took Rei and headed towards the tower, unaware of what was awaiting them.....  
  
_To be continued....._  
  



	5. The Lost Gene

Chapter 4  
The Lost Gene.  
  
-Ziggurat (int.)  
  
Teepo slowly regained consciousness. He tried to walk, but he felt something tighten on his neck, a blade. The odd shackles were on his arms and legs too. He took a look at his surroundings, a gothic-like dungeon with cobblestone walls and floor that were blood stained. An odd, unlit lantern made of what seemed to be black chrysm was hanging above his head, he also saw Deis and Garr unconscious with lanterns above their heads. Looking around still, he saw Nina's lifeless form in the shackles like his but a strange robot with an almost human face were the owners of them. An odd glowing sphere was also in her lantern, however. He was on the border of a strange circle. Karnak materialized and eyed Teepo.   
  
"I see you've seen my Racklings." Karnak said, obviously pointing out his robots. "If you struggle you'll be in pieces."  
  
"Shut up." Teepo said.  
  
"Oh, I wouldn't say that to someone whose can easily choose whether you live or die." Karnak said to Teepo.  
  
"You don't got the balls, Karnak." Teepo retorted, wondering if his pride would be the death of him.  
  
"I would kill you, but I'd really hate to kill one of my own in cold blood." Karnak said, walking  
toward the center of the circle.  
  
"YOUR OWN?!" Teepo said in shock.  
  
"That's right. Your own. I'm half Brood, half Indigo. I have Indigo Magic, and I can perform accession." Karnak said smugly. "However, enough talk. It's time for some Manacrafting." Karnak then got out the book and flipped through the pages. "Ah, how to create black mana creatures."   
  
"What the hell are you doing?" Teepo asked.  
  
"Oh nothing, just taking the hatred in everyone's soul to create a creature Myria used. Pity. Ryu would be screwed if he ran into him." Karnak then raised his hand into the air as a black aura emanated from it.  
  
Teepo gulped at the comment and the following event. Then screamed as he felt a part of his soul rip off. A black light flew off into the lantern, as did Garr's and Deis's. Karnak then tried the procedure on Nina, but to no avail. Teepo figured that her soul must be too pure to have black mana. He could tell by Nina's cheerful personality that he saw before her passing. A foul smelling fog arose from out of nowhere. When it cleared. He saw a creature that seemed to be crafted out of a black colored energy of some sort. The creature had a strange shimmering core in the middle of it.  
  
"Greetings, Ircos." Karnak said to the odd being.  
  
The creature kneeled before him. "Master....."  
  
Karnak eyed the creature, "Go out and capture Ryu, Rei, and Momo."  
  
"What if I find others?" Ircos said.  
  
"You may kill any others." Karnak said.  
  
"It is so, m' lord." Ircos then went off at breakneck speed towards Momo's Tower.  
  
Teepo could only pray for their safety.   
  
-Tower  
  
Rei's eyes slowly opened, his vision blurry and all he could see is a bright light. Momo heard him moan. He was lying on a cold, metal table, Rei could hear the low humming of a ventalation system. He only had one thought on his mind, and that was to give Karnak an Eye For An Eye.  
The room itself was made with thick steel walls, and anatomy charts were laid out on the walls. Momo walked through the steel door and looked him over.  
  
Momo went to a table and picked up a clipboard, "How are you feeling?" Momo simply said.  
  
Rei moaned, "I'm dizzy and I can't see straight."  
  
Momo sighed, "That's to be expected. You lost a lot of blood. You almost didn't survive the operation."  
  
"Operation?" Rei asked. He didn't know what kind of operation Momo gave him. Whatever it was though, he was grateful.  
  
"It's very complicated, I'll explain it to you later." Momo said.  
  
"Hm. Where are we?" Rei asked. This part of the Tower didn't seem familiar to him.  
  
"You're about a good fifty feet underground. Karnak can't sense us down this far." Momo said.  
  
"Where's Ryu?" Rei asked.  
  
"He went to the Yggdrasil tree to look for Peco. You just rest here, you aren't fully recovered." Momo said smiling at him, "Come on. I'll take you to your bed."  
  
"Uh....ok." Rei said getting up, he soon realized, after they were walking down the hall, that Momo gave him a new leg. It was steel but it didn't feel artificial like a steel leg would. He thought how he should thank her.   
  
After a few minutes, they approached a steel door in which Momo opened cleanly by hitting a red button by the door. The bedroom had a oak dresser, a nightstand, a bookshelf with complex books, and a plain white bed.   
  
"You rest here. Nothing can get us down here." Momo said.  
  
"This is screwed up." Rei said angrily.  
  
"What?" Momo said.  
  
"Living way down here just to escape some asshole who thinks he can become the ultimate being by taking our souls." Rei said. He slammed his fist into his open hand. "I'm gonna do something about this!" Rei's vision got blurry again. "Just as soon as I get some shut eye." Rei then fell asleep on the bed. Momo smiled at the woren, then left the room.  
  
"Why do I feel so protected when I'm around him?" Momo said to nobody in particular. "Maybe I....no; what was I thinking?" Momo then went to her room, which looked similar to Rei's, then fell asleep.  
  
Meanwhile.....  
  
-Yggdrasil Tree  
  
Ryu was trudging through the now muddy path in a deep green cloak. The sky had become pitch occasionally being lit by lightning, and the rainstorm was still going on. Ryu approached the Yggdrasil and looked at it's branches. He smiled when he saw a rather large fruit on the branch. He tapped on the tree a couple of times with the hilt of his sword. A calm sounding voice filled the forest.   
  
_"Greetings Ryu. You are here about Peco yes?"_ The tree said._  
  
_"Yes actually. How did you know?" Ryu asked the tree.  
  
_"I can't tell you Ryu. What I can tell you is that fruit is Peco. It's strange, but he seems to look like a demi-human now. I need just ten minutes to finish his transport."  
  
_"The fruit?" Ryu asked, looking at the large fruit on the Yggdrasil's higher branches.   
  
_"Yes. Go back to Momo's tower. I told him the location of her secret shelter."  
  
_"Very well then." Ryu then walked off towards the tower.  
  
Time passed as Ryu saw the Tower on the horizon. Then the ground started to shake as it gave way. Ryu fell in the fissure, screaming all the way.   
  
-Odd Cave  
  
Ryu fell with a loud thud onto the cold floor, in which he passed out immediately. He head fell right into a small lake of water. After awhile, he came to again, remarkably with no scratches, bruises, or anything of the like. He got up and looked at what he fell in. A lake with clear, mirror-like water spanned for what seemed like miles was before him. He then saw a stone dragon head grafted onto the cave wall, poring in the strange water. He also saw more of these heads lining the wall. The walls seemed to be made out of a polished crystal that shined in different colors as the light hit them. The floor was made out cut white marble.  
  
_Am I dead?_ He thought to himself. _Of course not. Now where have I seen that lake before. Is that a healing spring?_ _And where am I? And what is this place? _A million questions ran through his mind. Little did he notice a jet black daemon with blood red eyes and red horns behind him.  
  
"You think too much." it said to Ryu.  
  
The startled dragon turned around to see the Daemon. "What are you?"  
  
The Daemon sighed. "I'm a daemon, you pathetic little Brood. I am Ircos, servant to Master Karnak. You will come with me to the ziggurat, or you will die."  
  
Ryu only got his Dragon Sword, the white blade filling the chamber with its light.   
  
"Very well." Ircos then got into a fighting stance as he started to turn into his black energy form.  
  
"What the fu-" Ryu could even finish the sentence as he got punched in the face by Ircos several times, then kneed in the stomach. Ryu staggered back, then regained control of himself. He then slashed at the oddity with his blade. The blade passed right through him! He then saw his core. Ircos performed a spin kick right to Ryu's head. Ryu flew back as he began gathering energy. He sceamed as he performed Accession, the energy corsing through his veins. His hair turned to a bright gold color, and his eyes turned a bright blue. His sword shined even greater as its blade became spiked. This was Ryu's Kaiser transformation. And Ryu stood there, his eyes filled with determination to smash Ircos to nothing.  
  
Ircos sighed, "The attack isn't going to work on me. Oh well, I'll just have to kill you in a different fashion." His arms started taking the shape of axes. "YOU'LL DIE NOW DRAGON!!!!!"  
  
Ryu stood there, eyes locked on Ircos.  
  
Ircos started running at breakneck speed and leapt up, his ax arms prepared to cut him in two. Ryu, in one swift move, flung his sword at his core. Ryu's smug smile quickly left his face as his sword shattered opon Ircos's core, fortunately the impact made Ircos lose his ax arms and fall to the ground.  
  
"Bastard! You found my core! Time to join your whore of a girlfriend!" Ircos's left arm then turned into a lance of some sort.  
  
That sent Ryu into a rush of temporary insanity. He screamed as he grabbed the hilt of his sword and prepared to run Ircos through with it then the most unexpected thing happened.....  
  
....he dissapered.  
  
Ryu's eyes darted back and forth looking for Ircos. Then, a sharp pain came through his chest. He couldn't breathe as he was choking on his own blood. He looked down to find a black lance rammed through his chest. he turned his head around to find Ircos with a smug grin.  
  
"Game over Ryu." Ircos said laughing.  
  
Ryu's vision went black.  
  
-Dream  
  
Ryu could only hear a voice. Calm, yet firm.   
  
_"Wake up Ryu, this is Ladon."  
  
_"What is it? I failed."  
  
_"You didn't. You just didn't access your hidden gene."  
  
_ "I don't have one."  
  
_ "Yes you do. The Anfini gene. You are still alive still. Barely though. Access it."  
  
_"Will I become a dragon?"  
  
_"Something greater than I...."_  
  
Ryu started to reach down in his soul and access the gene.  
  
-Odd Cave  
  
Ircos was about to teleport Ryu to the ziggurat when Ryu's body started glowing.  
  
"The hell?" Ircos said.  
  
Ryu slowly started to float in the air as his hair turned white, his eyes became a deep blue, and the hilt of his sword floated to his hand, his wound healed instantly. A huge bright light filled the chamber. Then, as it died, he was in white armor with odd etchings. And his sword became a huge energy blade that would be the equivalent of a broadsword. Blue energy wings shot from his back. He then flung the great blade at Ircos.  
  
As the blade shot in Ircos direction, he felt an odd emotion.....  
  
.....fear.   
  
The blade sliced Ircos's core in two. He then started to melt into a puddle.  
  
Ryu looked at himself. "This is incredible." He then flew out of the cave towards Momo's shelter.  
  
Little did he see Karnak rising from the the water.  
  
"Your good Ryu. Very good. I think I'll pay a visit to Momo." Karnak then dissapered in a gold flame.  
  
_ .....to be continued......_   



End file.
